Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-03-10
Driving Out the witches.

Screws of s;eel-blue smoke enrled
upward from wiSwalas of the Indian
reservation in the cold, clear, frosty
air early yesterday morning. Six
sharp, successive reports Of as many
rifles had awakened the echoes and
the Indians II half hour earlier. The
~yollcys were fired lay six watchers
selected for that purpose. who had as
semhlod at the great cuuncil-house iii
the green where the alarm vas sound
ed, Instantly the whole reservation
turned over on its right side. and
bounding out of bed fires were kindled
and the Indians began to deck them
selves in their gaudiest attire from
moccasin to war plume. Chiefs.
braves, SpuaWs, maidens, children, and
papooses were soon vending their con-
vergent ways over road, street ana
bride path to the great council-house,
where was 10 be partaken the morning
feast of maize, beans, and pork that
had seethed and simmered in wash
boilers on stoves until the food man
pronounced them well done. 1t was
an odd spectacle. Beads, feathers, and
buckskin made up after the never
changing f~ashion-plate Of the unim-
proved red man constituted the male
attire. while liberal daubs of green,
red, and yellow paint gave the face al
most any desired form of hideousness.
Suuaws and maidens in blue moccasins
with white beads, their best dresses,
shawls. many-colored and of the bright
est hues. drawn tightly over the head
Of the wearer, and ribbons of all the
colors of the rainbow tied at available
spots, constituted the dress of the
ONE
1t was a great day. in the estimation
Of the pagan Indian, rs the annual
hunt of the witches was to be under
taken. There is a tradition among
these primitive people that sickness
and disease is brought on by the malev-
client influence of witches and evil
spirits, and the only antidote is to
drive them out. A priest known in
ancient times rs Kilzineake, who
taught that the Great Spirit had less to
do with the world than with these imps
and ellis, was the head center of these
i~nyocations, feasts, and fires.
According TO this old tribal custom
the Indians, when their morning meal
was in due process of assimilation,
formed themselves into figures on the
floor of the council-house for the dance.
They beat themselves, leaped about
with hideous noise and loud caterwaul,
invoking the Great Spirit to cast the
evil spirits out of them for the year.
When this ceremony had ended a pro-
cessional march was made to all the
wigwams of the reservation. Priest
and chiefs, who alone possess power to
! Danish witches, We're invited into the
wigwams of pagan Indians, and by
strange lamentations in Indian tongue
the witches were driven out. Some
times the witches make a stubborn re-
| sistance, as was the case in the last i'll
ness of Aunt Cynthia Farmer, when
Il fire and smudge We're kept up for
weeks around the house and dogs We're
burned as Il peace offering, but all to
no avail. As a rule only a few minutes
are occupied at each house or wigwam,
but the greater part OF yesterday was
consumed by the exercises. Medicine
Mar Webster chanted the weird Danish
ing song and another big chieftain in
a set, inyocatoey address, both in the
Indian tongue, uttered the final words
that caused the witches and the evil
II e to fold their tents and silently
steal away.
Last night the climax was capped
by a grand powwow, that ended only
when morning dawned. A big log
wood fire was lighted on the green,
and all the catalogue of national
dances was exhausted for joy over the
days success, which the kilzineaka
said was greater than that of any pre-
vious year, though what means OF
measurement he had was not made
exactly clear to some of his hearers.
~-SyrGcuSe Standard.